Sheet-metal-seaming machine.



J. W. BROWN & W. HESS.

SHEET METAL. SEAMING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED )UNE 9.1911.

Patented J une 25, 1918.

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J. W. BROWN @I W. HESS.

SHEET METAL SEAIVIING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED lIIIIII-:9.,I9I'I.

lwmm. Parented June 25, 1918.

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JOI-IN W. BROWN AND WILLIAM nnss, `or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA; SAID nnss AssIGNOR To sAIn BROWN.

SHEET-METAL-SEAMING MACHINE.

,retoma e To all whom t may Concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN W. BROWN and lViLLmir Hess, citizens of the Unitedv State-s, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphiav and State of Pennsylvania, have 'invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sheet-Metal-Seaming Machines; and we do hereby declare the followingI to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled inthe art to which it apvpertains to make and usethe same.

The present invention relates to that class of machines adapted for handling` sheet inet-al, and has more particular reference to parts whereby the number of parts are relatively few and are capable of being operated with the expenditure of but a relatively small amount of power.

The invention further aims at the provision of a machine of this type which is adapted to seam the meeting edges of sheet metal without the use of solder, and wherein intertitting beads of different sizes are formed upon the opposite edges of the sheet metal and crimped to interlock the sheets together and seal the joint therebetween.

lilith these, and further objects' in View, as will lin part hereinafter become apparent and in part be stated, the invention comprises certain novel constructions, combinations and arrangements of parts as subsequently specified and claimed.

ln the accompanying drawings:-`

l `igure 1 atop plan View offa sheet metal seaming machine constructed according to the present invention, parts being broken away. y

Fig. 2 is an end elevation 0f the saine, parts being broken away for the purpose of clearness. y

e Fig. 3 is a fragmentary, enlarged view in longitudinal section taken through the edgn ing mechanism at one side of the feed table. e Fig. -l is an enlarged transverse section Specification Of Letters Patent.

Patented lune 191e.

Application filed June 9, 1917. serial No. 173,809.

taken through the edging apparatus substantiallyon the line ltof Fig. l. u e

Fig. 5 is a detail perspective View of one of the automatic clutch shifting devices em- .e

ployed.

Fig. 6 is a transverse'section taken on the plane indicated by the line 6-6 in Fig. 1, showing the seainer and presser employed.

Fig. T is a bottom plan view of the same. i

Figi 8 is a fragmentary elevation ofa"v pair of the trinnning rollers arranged vat one side of. the feed table.

Fig. 9 is a transverse y section taken through the interfitting edges of metal sheets subsequent to their passage through" the edging and assembling` mechanism.

lig. 10 is a perspective view ofadjacent sheets in their relative positions during assembly', and immediately subsequent tothe A crimping or edging of the adjacent sheet.

Fig. 11 is a detail perspective viewV of one of the links of one of the feed chains, showing the detachable and adjustable sheet engaging finger employed.`

Referring to the drawings, 15 designates a table adapted to receive sheets of Vmetal to biy assembled, the table being provided near its outer end with a pair of cooperating feed rollsl, adapted to receive the sheets ofinetal. one at a time and advance the sameI into the machine. The table 15 is provided, next adjacentto the feed rolls 16 with opposed pairs of trimming or cutting rolls 17, vadapted to cut the sheets of metal into correct size and form, and prepare the sheets to be operated upon by the edging mechanism. Between the edging mechanism and trimining rolls 17 are arranged a second setof feed rolls 18, the rolls 16, 17 and 18k being located at opposite sides of the table, andi adapted to feed and cut the lateral edge portions of the sheets, of tin, or other niate- .rial to be operated upon, to true the edges Ol' the sheets and conform the latter to the e desired dimensions.

The edging mechanism is formed in two sections of substantially similar construction and arranged at the Opposite sides of the table 15. Each section embodies pairs of super-posed rollers 19 and 20 which are mounted upon vertically spaced apart shafts 21, and lwhich are adapted to receive the sheets of tin between the rollers 19 and 20. `Anvil plates 22 are arranged between the lower rollers 19, and substantially fill the spaces between the rollers,the anvil plates 22,being arcuated atopposite ends to substantially conform to theadj acent sidelportions of the rollers 19. The anvil plates 22 are two in number at each side of the Inachine, and three pairs vof rollers 19 and 20 .areempIQyed Uverhanging the anvil plates at each side of the table 15 is a' former`23'coinprising a plate yhaving down-turned longitudinal 'ilangesf thegdepths of" which gradually 'in- A,crease from the outer or forward end ofthe former23 to therear end vthereof as shown in full and' in dotted lines in Fig. 3. The anvil, or

d anvil plates 22, at the outer or left hand-side of the table 15, is relatively narrow in width aseomparedmwiththe width of the anvil 22 at the inner or right hand side of the table, and theQfo'rmers 23 are of correspondingly different sizes. The former plates 23 may be off greaterlength than the anvils 22, are

I. slotted to reeeivethe upper rollers 20 therethrough, and are adapted to be separated in closely'spaced relation about the upper edges of the anvils 22. Longitudinally slotted ears 24 project laterally from the edging devices andare held to the table 15in various ,'adjustedpositions, by clamping bolts having winged nuts 25. f

j The table 15 extends laterally from one end ofa bed-plate 26, and the latter is adapted to receive'," deliveredV transversely .across said end, sheets of metal, or the like, being operated upon. The bed-plate 26 is provided, also 'at said end, with a pair of longitudinally extending endless conveyers 27, counter-sunk the/upper face of the bed-plate 26, and having a pair' of adjustably mounted iinf gers 28 extending outwardly therefrom. As shown lin Fig.`11, the fingers 28 may comprise yoke base portions 29 adjusted to -straddle or t over a link of each chain or Vc onveyerl 27, and being detachably held to thelinks by set screws 30. The iingers 28 are mounted on, their respective conveyers 127 in transverse alinement, and are adapted to engage the inner end of a sheet of met-al and Vcarry the `latter forwardly over the bed- 31 in opposite directions. Mounted in screw threaded relation upon the shaft 31 is a combined seamer and presser, thesame comprising a blockf35 formed with a screw-threaded opening therethrough receiving the shaft 3l, having a pair of transversely spaced apart beveled rollers 36 mounted upon the lower face of the block with theiraxis of rotation in vertical planes, and having, in rearwardly spaced relation to the transverse axis of the rollers 26, an intermediate presser roller 37 seated in the lower face of the block 35 and being mounted upon a pivot, the axis of which extends horizontally and transversely in the block. x

The table 15 'and the bed-plate`26 are mounted upon any suitable framework structure, and in the present instance, legs or standards 38 are employed. A pair of the standards 38 is arranged at the inner end of the bed-plate 26, and a driving shaft 39 is journaled across the said standards 38 and provided with a pulley 40 adapted to receive a belt or the like,y thereover for transmitting power of the shaft 39. The shaft 39 has, adjacent each standard 38, a gear wheel 41, and arranged above the shaft 39, and over the ends thereof is a pair of counter-shafts 42 and 43, j ournaled at their inner ends in a common bearing 44, and being supported near their outer ends in bearing brackets 45 mounted upon the standards 38. The counter-shaft 42 has on its outer end va beveled gear wheel 46 meshing with a secl'ond beveled gear wheel 47 which is mounted lupon a shaft 48 extending along one side of lthe bed-plate 26, and having, upon its oppo- 'site end, a second beveled gear wheel 49.

The beveled gear wheel 49 meshes with a correspondingly beveled gear wheel 50 carrled upon the lower end of a vertically extending shaft 5l carried at one side of the frame of the machine, and which has on its upper end a beveled gear wheel 52 meshing with the beveled gear wheel 33 of the screwthreaded shaft 31. Loose upon the countershaft 42 is a spur gear wheel 53, and the counter-shaft 42 is provided with a shiftable clutch element 54 adapted to interlock the gear wheel 53 to the counter-shaft for driving the latter and the train of gears connected thereto from the driving shaft 39.

The counter-shaft 43has a beveled gear wheel 55 ne'ar its outer'end which meshes the 'adjacent end'of a shaft 57 which extends longitudinally of the opposite side of the machineifand which is provided upon its rear oruopposite end with a beveled gear wheel 58meshing with a beveled gear wheel 59 carried upon the lower end of a vertically extending shaft 60. The shaft 60 has on itsupper end a beveled gear wheel which meshes with the beveled gear wheel 34 mounted upon the opposite end of the threaded shaft 31. The counter-shaft 43 is provided with a spur gear wheel 62 meshing with the gear wheel 42 of the driving shaft 39, and which is adapted to be interlocked with counter-shaft L13 by a shiftable Clutch element 63. The train of gears connected to the counter-shafts ll2 and 13, and connected to the opposite ends of the threaded shaft 31, are adapted to drive the shaft 31 in opposite directions for reciprocating the combined seamer and presser across the bed-plate 26.

The counter-shaft L13 has upon its outer end a sprocket wheel 64 over which is trained a chain 65, the latter passing over a sprocket wheel 66 mounted on a worm shaft 67 arranged longitudinally at one side of the table 15. The shaft 67 is provided at suitably spaced apart points with worms 68 meshing with worm wheels 69 carried upon the shafts of the feed rolls, the cutting rolls, and the edging rolls for the purpose of driving the same. i

When the counter-shaft @t3 is` driven by means of the spur gear wheels 11 and 62, ythe worm shaft 67 is actuated to advance the sheets of tin, or the like, through the trimming and edging mechanisms, and to deposit the sheets, delivered fromA the edging mechanism, on the rear end of the bed-plate 26. At the same time, the counter-shaft 113 actuates its train of gears and drives the threaded shaft 31 in a direction to move the combined seamer and presser 35 across the outer end of the bed-plate 26 for closing the seam of any connected sheets that may have been deposited beneath the block 65 by prior operations of the machine.

When the block 35 has traversed the bed-plate 26 in one direction, the `countershaft 43 must "be disconnected by the driving shaft to arrest the operation of the feeding, trimming, and edging mechanisms and prevent the stacking or the piling up of sheets upon the inner end of the bed-plate. 1t is also necessary at this time to return the block 35 to the opposite side of the bedplate, and to actua-te the conveyers 27 for advancing the adjacent pair of connected sheets for the purpose of interlocking the sheets and pressing the interlocking seams of the same.

To accomplish this result, the bed-plate 26 is provided at opposite sides with clutch shifting devices which have connection with the clutch elements 54 and 63 at one end,

and. which include rocker arms 70 and 7l projecting toward the shaft 31 and located at the opposite sides of the bed-plate 26. The arms 7() and 71 are mounted upon vertical shafts 72 which project upwardly through the lateral portions of the bed-plate 26, and support the arms in the path of a shifting finger 73 projecting rearwardly from the block 35.

The shafts 72 have outwardly extending arms 7-1 upon their lower ends to which are pivotally connected rods 75, the rear ends of which are pivotally connected to posts 76 which rise from the outer ends of bell-crank levers 7 7 pivotally mounted at their inner portions upon pins 78 carried at the opposite sides of the frame. The |bell-crank levers 77 `which the conveyers 27 are trained, the forward ends of the conveyers passing over suitably mounted sprocket wheels 84.

It is essential that the clutch elements 541-. and 63 be alternately engaged and disengaged with their respective gear wheels 53 and 62, and for this purpose the bell-crank levers 77 are provided, upon their outwardly extending arms, with lugs 85 to which are pivotally connected the opposite ends of a tie-rod 86 for communicating the motion of one bell-crank lever to the opposite bellcrank lever and, the clutch elements being arranged `upon the opposite outer sides of the spur gear wheels 53 and 62, alternately couple and release the counter-shafts t2 and 43 to and from the driving shafts 69.

In operation, a sheet of tin, or the like, A is placed upon the table 15 and is introduced 'between the rollers 16, which latter carry the sheet. A into the trimming rollers 17. j The trimming rollers 17 correct any defects in conguration of the end edges of the sheet A, and the sheet emerges from the trimming rollers 17 into the second set of feed rollers 18, and is thence delivered therefrom to the edging mechanism.

As clearly shown in Fig. 1, the edging mechanism lat the left hand side of the table 15 is relatively narrow as compared with the opposite side, and when the plate A `emerges from the edging mechanism, it is provided upon its rear endY with a relatively small upstanding bead or crimped portion E. and a relatively large bead or crimped portion C upon its forward end. i

The edging mechanism delivers the sheet A on the conveyers 27, and the lingers 28 of the latter engage the rear end of the sheet A and carry the same a distance of advance equal to the distance between the center lines of the edging dies. lVhen the sheet A is thus advanced, the small bead B thereof is brought into longitudinal alinement with the larger section of the edging mechanism.

In a like manner, a second sheet D passes over the table 15 tothe bed-plate 26, and as the sheet D emerges from the edging mechanism', the large bead C slides over the small bead B of the first plate A, forming an overlapping joint as shown in Fig. 9. f

Operation of the conveyers 27 now advances the sheets A and B into a position to dispose the small bead B of the plate D in Yregisterto receive the large bead of a succeeding plate or sheet thereover. The seaming and pressing device is spaced forwardly from the conveyers 27 a distance equal to the distance of advance of the conveyer fingers 28 so that as the small bead B of the rearmost sheet or plate is held in position to receive a succeeding enlarged bead C thereover, the overlapping beaded edges of two adjacent plates are held in alinement beneath the block 35.

Then the sheet A travels over the table 15 the mechanism is so connected to the counter-shaft 43, that the block is simultaneously driven in such direction as to press and close the seam of the overlapping plates. The arm 73 strikes the rocker arm 70 when the seam is sealed and reverses the clutches 54 and 63 whereupon the feeding mechanism on the table 15 is arrested and the counter-shaft 42 is set in motion to actuate the conveyers 27 for advancing the sheets forwardly over the bed-plate 26, and for returning the block 35 to its initial position. lThe rocker arm is tripped vonly after the block 35 `has completed its transverse movement across the overlapping ends of the sheets and has moved beyond the adjacent lateral edges thereof. rIhe tripping of the arm 70 sets the feeding mechanism in motion and the same is advanced `sufliciently during the initial return movement ofthe block 35 to clear the seam formed and admity the free advancing of the' sheets and the free return movement of the block. As soon as the block 35 returns to its initial position, the arm 7 3 thereof strikes the rocker arm 71 and reverses the positions of the clutches 54 and 63, resulting in releasing the shaft 42 from the driving shaft and connecting the shaft 43 thereto.

The operation ofthe machine is therefore continuous and automatic and-may be carried on until the source of power is shut on.

It is of course, understood that various changes in the structure and design in parts may be made Without departing fromthe spirit of the invention, to meet various conditions met with in theinstallation of the machine and to accommodate the same to various material and sizes of sheets to be,

worked upon.

What is claimed is: v

1. In a sheet metal seaming machine, the combination of a bed plate, means for delivering sheetsof metal on the bedy plate and including edging devices for thesheets, means for advancing the sheets over the bed plate a distance less than the distance between the formed edges of the sheets, 'a combined seamer and presser arranged to move transversely across the bed plate at a second like advanced distance from said advancing means, means for simultaneously advancing the sheets over the bed plate and moving the seamer and presser into an initial position for use, and other means for simultaneously actuating the delivery means to overlap succeeding sheets on the bed plate and to actu- 'ate the seamer and presser for crushing the advanced overlapping sheet ends together.

2. In a sheet metal seaming machine, the combination of a bed plate, edging mechanism arranged at one side and at the inner end of the bed plate adapted to intermittently deliver sheets of metal laterally upon the bed plate with crimped opposite ends, means on the bed plate operable when the edging mechanism is at rest to advance the sheets intermittently a distance equal substantially to the distance between the center lines of the two crimped ends to dispose the rearedge of an advanced sheet in line to receive the front edge of the next succeeding sheet, a transversely operable seamer arranged over the bed plate in position to press together the overlapping edges of adjacent sheets, and connections between the seamer' and the edging mechanism and the advancing means to move the presser over overlapped advanced ends of 'sheets during` the operation of the edging mechanism and to return the seamer to initial position during the advancing of the sheets.

3. In a sheet metal seaming machine, the combination of a bed-plate, edging mechanism arranged at one side and at one end of the bed-plate, operating means including a clutch element for actuating said edging mechanism, a conveyer arranged on the bed-plate for advancing sheets thereover delivered from the edging mechanism, a second operating mechanism including a clutch element for actuating said conveyer,

a seaming device arranged to traverse the bed-plate and having connection with said operating mechanisms, and clutch shifting devices arranged at the opposite sides of the bed-plate for engagement with said seaming device at the ends of its transverse movements for alternately actuating said clutches and intermittently feeding sheets over the edging mechanism to the bed-plate and for intermittently advancing the sheets over the bed-plate to the seaming device.

4. In a sheet metal seaming machine, the combination of a bed-plate, a feed table arranged at one side of the bed-plate, feed rolls arranged on the feed table andadapted to advance sheets of metal thereover, edging devices at the opposite sides of the table for operation upon the sheets to crimp the ends thereof, a conveyer arranged upon the bed-plate adapted to receive sheets delivered from the edging deconveyer and including a clutch element,

both of said operating means having connection with said seaming device and being controlled by said clutches for intermittently actuating the feeding and edging elements and the conveyer and @for operat ing the seaming device in opposite directions.

5. In a sheet metal seaming machine, the

combination of a bed-plate, feeding and edging devices arranged at one side of the bed-plate adapted to crimp sheets of metal with beads of different sizes on opposite ends and deliver the same transversely to the bed-plate, advancing means upon the bed-plate adapt-ed to advance the sheets to bring the small beads thereof into register with the larger beads of the neXt succeed ing sheets, means for seaming the overlapping beads, a driving element, alternately operable connecting means between the driving element and said feeding and edging means and said seaming device for simultaneously actuating the same and driving the seaming device in one direction, and adapted to actuate said advancing means and to drivey said seaming device in Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

an opposite direction, and controlling elements associated with said connecting means and operable by said seaming device at the ends of its transverse movements.

6. In a sheet metal seaming machine, the combination of a bed plate, feeding means for moving sheets one at a time laterally upon one end of the bed plate, beading means for crimping beads across the opposite ends of the sheets simultaneously with i the feeding of the sheets, advancing means for intermittently moving the sheets along the bed plate a distance sufficient to bring the bead on the inner end of a sheet on the bed plate in line with the bead on the forward end of a sheet in the feeding means, the beading means being adapted to form the beads in the inner end of the sheets of less size than that of the beads on the for- Ward ends of the sheets for interlocking the beads of adjacent sheets by the feeding of the succeeding sheets upon the bed plate,

and seaming means for pressing the interlocked beads together.

In testimony whereof We afiiX our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN W. BROWN. WILLIAM HESS.

Witnesses:

HARRY C. BLAsE, WM. G. YEAGER.

Washington, D. C. 

